Planet Fitness moves forward in Falls

The Menomonee Falls Village Board on Monday moved plans for a Planet Fitness forward, with a few stipulations.

The Village Board approved a conditional use permit for Somerstone LLC to construct a Planet Fitness in the Colonial Plaza Shopping Center on Appleton Avenue in downtown Menomonee Falls. Before any tenant can occupy vacant portions of the shopping center; however, the Community Development Authority has to first approve a development agreement. The agreement is an assurance that the rest of the property will be redeveloped at some point.

Plans call for renovating the strip mall in two phases, but the timeline on phase two is unclear. Phase one updates portions of the shopping center to be occupied by Planet Fitness, an unspecified retail store to the north and a relocation of the Salvation Army to a smaller building on the site to make room for the 24-hour fitness facility.

Members of the Plan Commission and Village Board were concerned about developing one portion of the shopping center while leaving the other portion undeveloped for an indefinite amount of time with no clear plan for it. The facade of the redevelopment portion and the untouched portion will also look different, which was a concern for board members.

Village Manager Mark Fitzgerald said the developer has until October to bring a redevelopment plan forward. He said the owners are trying to change the property for the better and they are asking for "time to make that happen."

"We think we ought to work with them," he said. "We think there's an opportunity here."

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